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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27689431">The Curious Return of One Eric Lyndon</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_an_ordinary_fan/pseuds/just_an_ordinary_fan'>just_an_ordinary_fan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>W.I.T.C.H.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, It's more of a introduction, New Power Eric, The New Power Fix-It</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:15:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27689431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_an_ordinary_fan/pseuds/just_an_ordinary_fan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Guardians are about to face the great danger of the Dark Mother beneath their feet. To defend theirselves, Earth and Kandrakar, they need more power. New Power. And along with it a mentor that will guide them.</p><p>An attempt to flesh out the fix-it from the mind of the amazing quintessence-sentimentalist on Tumblr.<br/>Fuelled by nostalgia and probably filled with bad grammar. </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hay Lin/Eric Lyndon, Matt Olsen/Will Vandom, Peter Lancelot Cook/Cornelia Hale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One: What's up Stranger?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Even though people fought about a lot, one thing has always been for certain – everyone agreed Open Hill was a very quiet town. The less kind people could call it boring, even. The fog hauled the old cobblestone streets where nothing interesting ever happened. The streak of nothingness was occasionally broken by random occasions such as the founding of the town, The Great Rabbit Disaster of 1904, followed by The Great Hound Disaster of 1905, and, of course, the events of the last year that nearly destroyed Open Hill reputation of the most mundane town on the northern hemisphere.</p><p>The mysterious disease circling around the old town, attacking teenagers, kids and overall young people, followed by the recovery in the course of one day left the doctors clueless. Open Hill never got an answer to why and what happened. The official report presumed the recovery to be a miracle and left it with that. The disappearance of an odd, but sweet couple of old citizens, the Ibsens, was another mystery that challenged the wit of the citizens. The townsfolk were guessing everything in all the mysterious cases. Their guesses varied from new untested cure for the ill, to the murder of the Ibsens for their heritage, even though everyone knew they did not have any children.</p><p>The Lyndon family had a few guesses as well, but they didn’t share them. The reason for that was simple – one, they did not believe in gossiping, and two, their guesses were not really guessing, and they would win way too easily, and three, they did not want to share them with people unaware of magic.</p><p>Eric, himself, knew some parts.</p><p>He knew about the magical presence the Lyndon family went to investigate to Open Hill. He knew about the Evil he felt in school, the Shadows so twisted and old it made him shiver. The same evil presence that disappeared the same day Ray woke up.</p><p>He knew that his parents were keeping an eye on Ibsens and were upset when they disappear.</p><p>And then nothing, until the call from grandpa – something was happening in Heatherfield.</p><p>That night Eric lived through one of the most terrifying hours of his life. He feared for grandpa, for Hay Lin, for his old friends from Sheffield. And then vague answer from Kandrakar that the Guardians took care of the Shadow and Ibsens were currently in the fortress.</p><p>Kandrakar messages were usually vague. And sent to his mother.</p><p>He tried not to make a connection of these two facts.</p><p>Now, it was summer. And nothing was happening.</p><p>The magical presence in Open Hill was gone. Not entirely, no. No place once touched by magic could ever get rid of it again. However, the presence of anything bigger hasn’t reappeared in almost six months.</p><p>He spent more and more time in his room. Meditating. Trying to reach any magic in Open Hill – a spark, a wave, a sound – anything. Yet every time, all he reached were the leftovers from the dark shadows and something lighter, brighter, and more powerful. Something like… Like… Like Heatherfield.</p><p> </p><p>He let out a defeated sound and opened his eyes. As far as he could tell, his room had never looked so disappointed with him.</p><p>“I know, I know…” he murmured and reached for his phone.</p><p>Heatherfield. Now, that was a magical place. Every step he took in that wonderful city had been filled with magic. Not even he, with all of his abilities and training, could decipher all of the magical sparks and wonders. They were ever-present in Heatherfield – in the ground, in the water, in the air. Even when Hay Lin visited Open Hill, the air around her shifted.</p><p>Speaking of, he didn’t see Hay Lin in person for ages. Well, months. But it felt like ages.</p><p>He scrolled through the texts from her. They were usually long and sweet, and he felt bad for not answering the same way. His texts were usually much shorter. Except for the last one. She still did not answer it. Not that he blamed her, he had hard time sending it as well, right after her invitation to Heatherfield. She asked if he was going to be free anytime soon and if he didn’t mind spending any summer weekend together with her.</p><p>He didn’t mind. He’d love to.</p><p>There was a small, tiny, teeny problem.</p><p>He did not know whether he would still be even near Heatherfield.</p><p> </p><p>“Eric!”</p><p>His mom’s voice freed him from his thoughts.</p><p>“Yes, mom?”</p><p>“Dinner’s ready!”</p><p>“Coming!”</p><p>He ran down the stairs. Both of his parents were already sitting at the table. Both had the same solemn look on their faces. The one they had when there was a difficult conversation ahead. The moment they saw him, they both melted into encouraging smile.</p><p>Eric suppressed a sigh. It looked like it was going to be a long night.</p><p> </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>The evenings in Heatherfield Bay were beautiful, especially the ones in summer. There was something calming about the sea rushing to the shore and the beach’s quietness.</p><p>Usually.</p><p>“Catch it!”</p><p>“I can’t, I can’t, sorry!”</p><p>Two laughing voices disrupted the calm of the beach.</p><p>“Just open your mouth!”</p><p>“You’ll throw it into the sand again, anyway.”</p><p>“That’s not true! Come on, open up!”</p><p>Two young people were sitting at the piece of cloth. A seagull standing nearby was silently gazing at them. If he was careful enough, maybe he could have stolen something to eat from the basket near their feet.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“You’re really trying out my patience.”</p><p>“Shame.”</p><p>There was a joyful scream and the redheaded girl fell down on her boyfriend, pinning him to the ground mercilessly. The seagull quickly revaluated his options and took off as quickly as he could.</p><p> </p><p>“You will eat my dumplings, Olsen,” Will said and waved with one of the rolls in front of Matt nose.</p><p>“They’re not yours. We took them at the Dragon.” Matt was still red-faced from all the laughter.</p><p>“Technicalities.”</p><p>“Okay, I’ll eat them, just don’t throw them at me.”</p><p>“You’re supposed to open your mouth.”</p><p>“And you’re supposed to aim better,” Matt said, quick smirk flashing on his lips.</p><p>“Careful, you don’t know, who you’re messing with.”</p><p> </p><p>Will leaned closer to Matt’s face. It wasn’t fair at all. The breeze played with her hair, the light of the sunset was shining on her face, her eyes were sparkling… How could he win the debate like that?</p><p>“I know exactly who I’m messing with,” he said softly.</p><p>Will smiled, brushed his hair out of his face and went back to sitting on top of him.</p><p>“I’ll throw it from here. Catch it if you can.”</p><p>She broke the dumpling in half. The smell of pork filled the air. She dropped the dumpling into Matt’s mouth.</p><p>“Not bad,” he said after some chews. “A bit cold, though.”</p><p>“It wouldn’t have been if you just opened your mouth sooner.”</p><p>“Well, it would - “</p><p>He didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence. Will’s lips pressed on his usually did that.</p><p> </p><p>He had to admit, after the tour with Karmilla, he was afraid that they wouldn’t pick up where they left off. But soon he found out, he didn’t have to. He came back to Heatherfiled two weeks ago and not counting the magic-related emergency he didn’t remember at all, everything went as smoothly as he could ever dare to hope for. Will was amazing. She helped him to acclimatize back to Heatherfield, to the summertime, to everything he missed. To her.</p><p>He loved this girl.</p><p>The kissing stopped. He managed to sit up.</p><p>“Wanna watch the sunset?” he asked.</p><p>“Only if there are some dumplings left,” Will said and laid down on Matt’s shoulder.</p><p>The seagull carefully returned and snatched one of the abandoned dumplings. It was a beautiful evening indeed.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>“ – and then Javier said we can shove the Moon somewhere and ran off from the room!”</p><p>Charles Lyndon was fighting back tears of laughter.</p><p>Eric was smiling back. His dad did not often laugh until he cried. The exception could be someone with a sense of humor that resembled Charles’. The other exception was his dad’s own stories. Eric asked him once why he laughed hardest while he was telling his own story. Charles said that if there is someone who knows the best how to make Charles Lyndon laugh, it’s Charles Lyndon himself. Eric left it with that.</p><p>The dinner was held in the atmosphere of forced cheerfulness and casual small talk. Eric would have bet none of the people at the table were truly enjoying it, but they still put on the charade for each other.</p><p>But sooner than later, the plates were empty. The three of them exchanged the same look. It was time to address the elephant in the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay. It’s family meeting time,” Louise said finally.</p><p>The forced joyfulness escaped the room in a flash. Eric appreciated it. The atmosphere was now uncertain, but definitely real. Out of corner of his eye, he noticed dad had tensed up.</p><p>“How does it look with Sunny Valley?” Eric asked.</p><p>“Not good,” Charles admitted. “That is, it does not look good for us moving there. The cases of sightings had dropped to zero. It is a very small likelihood it has to do anything with our department.”</p><p>“Also, the magical presence in there is lower than in Open Hill. I checked it,” Louise added. “It looks like the townsfolk had seen a stray dog rather than a magical creature.”</p><p>“So, Sunny Valley’s lost call.”</p><p> </p><p>Eric was trying his best not to show how much he was disappointed. Sunny Valley was still close to Heatherfield and he and Hay Lin could see each other in person. He was already cursing himself for not telling her he didn’t know for sure if he was to see her in summer because everything was too complicated and how he would like to tell her and why couldn’t he and everything would be alright if he just -</p><p> </p><p>“Eric? Are you okay?”</p><p>Mom’s voice put him back to the table in Open Hill.</p><p>“Yeah, just… Yeah.” He leaned back on his chair. “We’re moving to New Stubble, then?”</p><p>“Not exactly, Eric. We have to discuss something, first.”</p><p>“What? What happened?”</p><p>“Kandrakar reached to me,” Louise said and looked directly at Eric. “It’s time.”</p><p> </p><p>The room fell silent after that.</p><p>Kandrakar. The place that contacted them from time to time in a case there was a danger they overlooked or to contact them of the state of the fortress. And then there was the thing with Eric. The one thing that he knew since he could remember.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, that’s – That’s – “</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t collect himself for one coherent sentence.</p><p>He is the Mentor.</p><p>He is going to teach the guardians.</p><p>He is going to fulfill his destiny.</p><p>He felt hollow and full of everything at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>Someone put a hand on his shoulder and said in his father’s voice: “I know. It is a lot.”</p><p>“Breathe it out, we’ll wait,” his mom said.</p><p>“I’m okay. I’m okay,” he reassured them. “Just… Just – Wow…”</p><p>He shook his head. Charles’ palm left his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“So, where should we start?” he asked as calmly as he could.</p><p>“Heatherfield.”</p><p> </p><p>Of course.</p><p>That was one of the reasons they left Heatherfield. Kandrakar sent a message that the city was under the Guardians’ control. It explained a lot of things that were happening in Heatherfield, for example the magic-filled atmosphere. It took him couple of tries not to blame Guardians for his parents’ departure. He eventually did forgive them, even though not in person for he didn’t know who they were, and he left with his parents. And now he’s supposed to mentor them.</p><p>That meant moving back to the observatory, to grandpa, to Hay Lin –</p><p>His heart left out a few heartbeats. Hay Lin. He had to call her or text her, as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait,” he stopped the train of thought that managed to break few safety regulations. “What about New Stubble?”</p><p>“We decided -” Charles started.</p><p>Louise looked at him in a way suggesting that the decision wasn’t completely collective.</p><p>“ – That the most reasonable thing to do is to travel to New Stubble by myself.”</p><p>“Dad, you can’t be serious. There is a werewolf there.”</p><p>“There is no such thing as werewolf.”</p><p>“You taught me that until proven otherwise, everything should be put into consideration.”</p><p>Louise chuckled. “He’s right, you know.”</p><p>“Yes, that is true.” Charles said, sounded a bit defeated. “But until proven otherwise, it is a creature of undefined magical species.”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Eric gave in. “Dad, there’s an undefined magical creature in New Stubble. You can’t just go there on your own. What if you need mom’s gift?”</p><p>“That’s exactly what I’ve been saying, thank you, Eric,” Louise hopped in the conversation. “You cannot expect the creature just walk to you without you recognizing whether it’s magical. That is the reason why I should go to New Stubble and you to Heatherfield with Eric.”</p><p>“Sorry, mom, but I don’t think that would work either.”</p><p> </p><p>Louise stopped in her way to Charles to show that, yes, the decision he made was not the best one - loose smirk - and frowned.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You need dad’s gift as well. What if this werewolf – sorry – undefined creature attacks you and you can’t take his magic or defend yourself?”</p><p>“I can defend myself against werewolf every day. And any magical creature as well.”</p><p>“You know what I mean,” Eric sighed. “You can’t go to New Stubble alone and neither can dad. You need both of our powers with you.”</p><p>“Son,” Charles sounded different from the Charles that talked about undefined magical species. This one was more serious. “If both of us go to New Stubble, then – “</p><p>“Then I will move back to the observatory with grandpa.”</p><p>The silence in the room that followed was the longest that evening. Finally, Louise spoke.</p><p>“Eric, are you sure? It’s not that I don’t have faith in you - I do, son, I don’t know what sort of a mother would I be if I didn’t – but do you really want to move to Heatherfield on your own? I – We just started to be proper family again.”</p><p>“And we will be soon again, mom. You’ll finish the job in New Stubble, and you’ll come back to Heatherfield.”</p><p>“What if you need help?”</p><p>“I’ll have grandpa. And I have my abilities.”</p><p> </p><p>Louise stood up from her chair. She moved around the table with few quick steps.</p><p>And hugged him firmly.</p><p>Eric noticed with horror that she was shaking. He freed his arms and hugged her back.</p><p>“Shh… It’s okay, mom. It’s gonna be okay.”</p><p>“I know it will.” Her voice was trembling. “You’re incredible young man, you’re going to do great.”</p><p>Their hug was joined by another pair of hands and warm body in a sweater.</p><p>“We are very proud of you, Eric.”</p><p>“I know, dad. I am proud of you two, too.”</p><p> </p><p>They were on the floor, hugging each other, for a time that felt like an eternity and a blink of an eye at the same time. They weren’t letting go of each other. This moment had been perfect. There were no Guardians, no werewolves, no creatures of undefined magical species, no Kandrakar. Nothing, except son, dad, and mom.</p><p>‘The best dad and mom.’ Eric thought buried in his parents’ arms. ‘The best.’</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Will Vandom did not think of herself as a morning person. She said that everyone can feel like a morning person, it only depends who do you compare yourself too. Except for Irma, who oddly took a special pride in not being a morning person. Her friend often referred to herself as a morning barely-a-person.</p><p>That being said, she didn’t exactly plan to get from bed at seven in the morning on the summer day, but sometimes life doesn’t give you any other choice. Especially, if you’re living in an apartment where someone is waking up for their trip to historical library in different town, because “they have so much larger variety of the books on the topic of the French revolution, Susan.”</p><p> </p><p>Now, she was already on her feet and swallowing breakfast as fast as she could, occasionally defending herself from James the Fridge who was more than concerned by her eating habits.</p><p>“It’s not weird, James. It’s gonna be a long day, today. I need energy.”</p><p>“You said that yesterday. And I’m sure you have plenty of energy on your own.”</p><p>For a fridge, James could be exceptionally bitter.</p><p>“Look, just because I – Hi, mom!”</p><p>“Good morning.”</p><p>Susan was still in her sleeping robe, still looking sleepily, but a smile on her lips. Lately, she looked so much happier than ever in Fadden Hills, Will was sometimes convinced that all of what happened Heatherfield had been just a dream. A very good one.</p><p>“Who you were talking to?”</p><p>“The fridge,” Will answered truthfully.</p><p>Recently, she found out that the truth sounded too ridiculous to Susan she wouldn’t ever believe her and probably thought talking to inanimate objects was something Will did for fun. As a bonus, Will didn’t have to lie to her.</p><p> </p><p>Susan laughed. “Of course. What was his problem this time?”</p><p>“He complained about my breakfast.”</p><p>“I can see why,” Susan frowned. “Will, you can’t live from the sweets. You know that.”</p><p>“I know, mom. That is why I’m taking the carrots with me. “</p><p>She made an undefined gesture towards the box of peeled and sliced carrots.</p><p>“Today’s the big day?”</p><p>Will shook her head.</p><p>“No, that’s tomorrow. Today’s the Keep-Tara-From-The-Rehearsal-Room Day.”</p><p> </p><p>Hay Lin came up with the name very quickly. It didn’t have an acronym, but it caught up within two minutes, right after Cornelia accidentally used it again.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you were just going to hang out, today.”</p><p>“That was the original plan, until Sheila called Irma,” Will admitted. “She said we can’t let Taranee practice the day before the show or Tara will lose her mind. So, we plan to keep her relaxed and content. Even if it means we have to chain her to the lighthouse.”</p><p>“Do you think that will be necessary?”</p><p>“You don’t know Taranee. She’s so excited about this. And terrified. Sheila said that she can overwork herself if she’s not careful.”</p><p> </p><p>She stood up and started counting on her fingers. “We keep her occupied in the morning – we haven’t seen each other in some time, so that shouldn’t be a problem - , then have lunch at Hay Lin’s, and in the afternoon Sheila, Luke, Joel, Peter, and Matt should join us and go to beach, then dinner at Golden’s and then the Cobalts should play for friends only, so we’re going.”</p><p>“That sounds like a long day.” Susan sat down and played with the opening of the cereal box. Will was dancing around the kitchen, cleaning the dishes with her back to her. She didn’t notice Susan was biting down her lip.</p><p>“Yeah. I will be home before ten, I promise. We need to be well rested for tomorrow, anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>Will finally turned back to her mom. Susan quickly put on a smile for her daughter.</p><p>“And then we’ll have the family dinner here. Matt’s still invited?”</p><p>“Of course he is,” Susan said. “If you want to motivate him, tell him you’re not the one cooking.”</p><p>“Ha, ha. I can peel a carrot, just so you know,” Will defended her skills while she was packing up her frog bag.</p><p>“That will charm him.”</p><p>Will laughed shortly and headed to the door. Susan’s fingers press around the cereal box tightly.</p><p>“Will?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>Susan looked at her daughter, on her way out. She thought about ruined summer days and the Big Plans. She thought about the certainty of a truth. She thought about her little frog girl who grew up so fast.</p><p>She smiled.</p><p>“Have a nice day.”</p><p>Will’s face lit up.</p><p>“You too, mom. Say hi to Dean from me!”</p><p>And she left.</p><p> </p><p>Susan let go of the carbon box which did not look the same way as it did in the morning – the top of it was smashed by her hands. She let out a sigh and placed a hand on her stomach.</p><p>She’s been trying to tell Will for two days now and although they lived together, Susan never found a good time to start with the conversation.</p><p>“Tonight. I will tell her tonight,” she said to the empty room.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Under the Heatherfield, under the pipes and concrete the city has wrapped its foundation in, lies a cave. Not an unknown cave. The scientists know about it, and they do not presume it is of a great importance. The only thing they’ve concluded is that it is very deep and probably has a pool of mud on its end. When you throw a rock in the pit, nothing is heard.</p><p>It is a great tourist attraction that the guides offer, and every single tourist can throw a rock in there just to not hear it land. They call it Awe Cave in the tours. They are willing to pay a lot of money for it which help with an actual important research.</p><p>The cave is so ordinary, so mundane, there is nothing magical about it.</p><p> </p><p>And that is why is it one of the most extraordinary places in Heatherfield, the place filled with magic. Nothing but darkness lurks from it. If you were unlucky enough to fall down with the rock, no one would ever hear from you again.</p><p>Not because you would crush your skull or landed in the pool of mud.</p><p>But because you would land in front of her.</p><p>The Dark Mother.</p><p>The being from stories so old, not even all elders from Kandrakar could vouch for her existence.</p><p>The Dark Mother who had been asleep for a very long time.</p><p>She was resting, but her roots, her branches, her seeds were alive. The time has come to wake up and feel her roots, to see her servants.</p><p> </p><p>“Romur.”</p><p>Her voice sounded like a branch being broken in half and like the buzzing of an insect. It was rasp from not being used for centuries.</p><p>“Romur, my faithful servant.”</p><p>The creature kneeling before her shivered. He was hiding his face in his red robe, yet the Mother recognized him. He felt the change in the air. From the cave smell of the cold stone to the smell of rotting petals.</p><p>The Mother opened her eyes. They were shining with yellow flame, the only fire in her, filling her gaze with the power that was locked inside of her. Beautiful and dangerous.</p><p>“Tell me,” she purred. “What is new in the world above?”</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>“Eric’s coming back?!”</p><p>Irma practically screeched. We did not take her excitement well, shrieked and quickly hid in Hay Lin’s bag. The fluffy adorable alien with stripped tail had unofficially crowned himself the king of the basement during his stay and the disturbances in his small kingdom were not appreciated. Except for him, Irma and Hay Lin, the basement of the Ye Olde Bookshop was empty.</p><p>“Yeah,” Hay Lin said.</p><p>“Yeah?” Irma repeated disbelievingly. “As someone who keeps gushing about him, shouldn’t you be more excited?”</p><p>“I don’t gush about him.” Hay Lin’s cheeks turned pink a little.</p><p>She absentmindedly petted We who lurked from her back and carefully watched Irma’s movements.</p><p>“It is kind of – They were supposed to move again, I knew about that, but he called me yesterday to say he is coming back to Heatherfield,” she shrugged. “Why didn’t he tell me sooner?”</p><p>“Maybe he didn’t know for sure and did not want to get your hopes up?”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p> </p><p>We found the area safe again. He hopped into Hay Lin’s lap and laid down. Hay Lin automatically stroked his fur.</p><p> </p><p>“When he’s coming back, anyway?”</p><p>“Tomorrow.”</p><p>“Tomorrow?!”</p><p>We jumped up and ran back to his hideout, making himself invisible. His tail, the only visible part of him, was also the only one he did not hide in the bag.</p><p>“Sorry, We,” Irma murmured to the general direction of the little furry alien.</p><p>The bag growled, but We turned visible again. There was a yellow ribbon tangled around his ears.</p><p>“Eew-ma sowee?”</p><p>“Yes, I’m sorry.”</p><p>We looked satisfied and played with the ribbon while humming a medley none of the girls knew. Irma turned back her attention back to Hay Lin.</p><p>“That guy’s a cheetah.”</p><p>“We?” Hay Lin asked, confused.</p><p>“No, Eric.”</p><p>“Aren’t falcons faster than cheetahs?”</p><p>“Only when they fly down.”</p><p>“Irma,” Hay Lin smiled. “Have you been actually paying attention in class?”</p><p>“Don’t tell anyone. I have my reputation.”</p><p> </p><p>Hay Lin giggled. We stopped paying attention to the ribbon for a moment to check what is going on, found out the rest of Hay Lin’s bag was more interesting and started with the exploration to seize the opportunity of girls not paying attention to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, Hay Hey, everything’s gonna be fine,” Irma continued. “Eric’s sweet, you’re sweet and together you make up for a whole candy store, caramel lollipops included.”</p><p>“I thought you said the cotton candy was sweeter.”</p><p>“Alright, with the cotton candy – “</p><p>“And your mom’s lemonade – “</p><p>“And the sour fish – “</p><p>“Sour fish are sour.”</p><p>“Okay, gummy bears, then.”</p><p>“Marzipan – “</p><p>“And those little almond things they put in gift baskets.”</p><p>“A gift!” Hay Lin’s palm hit her forehead. “I don’t have anything for him!”</p><p>“You’ll think of something,” Irma waved her hand. “You have all of today to find the perfect present.”</p><p>“Present? For whom?” Cornelia’s voice cut through the air.</p><p> </p><p>Irma and Hay Lin turned to the door in which Will, Taranee, and Cornelia stood. Will and Cornelia were on the sides, while Taranee was in the middle, clutching to her red bag and not wanting to let go.</p><p>“<em>Whom</em>?” Will repeated.</p><p>“Sorry. It’s my grandma. She thinks her granddaughters should use proper grammar because all Hales do. Apparently.”</p><p>“Wait, does she actually make you and Lillian go to English class? In summer?!” Irma was far beyond the point of being shocked.</p><p>“More like class of being a proper Hale. Taught by her. But it was not that bad.”</p><p> </p><p>The girls got down to the basement and joined Irma and Hay Lin on the floor. Tara sat down with a small huff. We was nowhere to be seen and neither was Hay Lin’s bag, although the girls have not noticed yet. He did not find the scissors like he wanted to, but he did dig up more ribbons, piece of paper and crayons. He was more than excited about it and continued with his craft. </p><p>“Anyway, what about what present?”</p><p>Hay Lin shifted and searched the room for help. Irma nodded encouragingly.</p><p>“Ehrm…,” she started, soft smile forming on her lips. “Eric’s moving back to Heatherfield.”</p><p>There was a silence in the room. It lasted exactly two seconds, before the room exploded with the cheers and congratulations and overall joy. We sneaked from his hiding spot and when he saw that no intruder came to his kingdom, he got back to work.</p><p> </p><p>“That is so great, Hay Lin,” Taranee said when she finally let go of hugging Hay Lin.</p><p>“Thanks,” she smiled and then shook her head. “But we can put that aside, we’re not here because of that.”</p><p>“Hay Lin’s right.”</p><p>Will took the word. The rest of the girls went silent and payed attention to their friend. After all the time they have spent as Guardians, they learnt few things. One of them was to listen what Will had to say. They usually followed this.</p><p>“First of all, does anyone have anything Guardians related? Or any calls?”</p><p>“Not that I know of.”</p><p>“I talked to Elyon a week ago,” Cornelia said. “She said Meridian’s fine and says hello to everyone.”</p><p>“I can call grandma tomorrow,” Hay Lin shrugged.</p><p>“I have nothing.”</p><p>“Me neither,” Will nodded in agreement. “Second, any news on Orube?”</p><p>The Guardians collectively shook heads and took glance at the Heart-of-Kandrakar-shaped portal in the wall. They’ve been trying to reach Orube through it the first few months after she left back home to Basiliade. The portal did not seem to take their requests seriously and never found her, even though the Oracle, Yan Lin and even Endarno confirmed that is where Orube’s supposed to be. The girls decide that after what happened with the Book and Cedric, she needed some time and space, but as the time went, they were slowly losing hope in ever hearing from their old feline friend again. The only thing Orube left on Earth were Miss Rudolph’s old house and We.</p><p> </p><p>Speaking of which, their little furry friend was dead silent and doing a marvelous job, at least that is what he thought. The glue he found was just perfect.</p><p> </p><p>“And third, anything else? No evil forces coming?”</p><p>The girls looked at each other cautiously. When no one said anything, Irma let out a relieved sigh.</p><p>“Good, ‘cause WE don’t need that today.”</p><p>“Tara,” Irma put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Prepare to be amazed.”</p><p>“You don’t really need to do this. I will be fine, I promise.”</p><p>“No can do,” Cornelia shook her hand and joined Irma in rubbing Taranee’s back and shoulders. “Hay Lin, present the plan.”</p><p>“Yes!” Hay Lin put the goggles on her eyes and held up a finger. “The plan so amazing and galactic and – Gone?”</p><p>“That’s a nice plan.”</p><p>“Stop it, you.” Hay Lin put her goggles back on the top of her head. “Have you seen my bag somewhere?”</p><p>“No, the last time I saw it… - WE!”</p><p>The strength of Irma’s voice easily reached the couch under which We’s been hiding.</p><p>“Wee?”</p><p>“Do you have my bag there, We?”</p><p>“Mae – wee?”</p><p>“Can you please give it back to me?”</p><p>Yelling at We had never come with any satisfying resolution for any side involved. Instead, she was very polite. It had results. We crawled from under the couch with both the bag and his masterpiece.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that - ?”</p><p>“It was the plan, yes,” Hay Lin sighed. “We, we talked about this. If you want to borrow something, just ask.”</p><p>“We sowee.”</p><p>“It’s okay, We. We don’t need a plan on paper, anyway, ‘cause I got it. Right here.”</p><p>Hay Lin pointed at her forehead.</p><p>“Like-we?”</p><p> </p><p>The Guardians gathered around We and the ruined plan. The original content was lost behind the childish drawing of five girls, each one of which had hair made of ribbons. On the side there was a figure that mirrored We a lot more accurately than the picture did with the girls.</p><p>“Of course. We like it very much, We,” Will said. “We should let it stay here as our emblem.”</p><p>“<em>Emblem?</em> Did she take your grandma’s class?”</p><p>“WEE!”</p><p>The joy of the little alien was overwhelming. Soon, the Guardians were laughing as We was nearly kissing Will and hugging her very enthusiastically.</p><p> </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>The fortress was crowded. Elyon did not believe she had ever seen so many people on a meeting, though the reason for that may lay in her visits of Kandrakar being more sporadic. Meridian did not have any Council that would have require this number of people and creatures. It also did not have as many white robes as were now present in Kandrakar. She and Caleb followed the suit and took white clothes as well. She had no idea why she was invited. She did not like not knowing. She was a queen. The lack of knowledge was at best case inconvenient, dangerous at worst, both for her people and herself.</p><p>The crowd was still whispering in the nervous buzzing that filled the infinite room even though it seemed impossible. She saw all the representatives from all the parallel worlds shifting on their seats. She found Caleb a few seats above her, rapidly discussing something with Ari, the lord of Arkantha.</p><p> </p><p>A tall figure with long gray hair approached her and stood beside her. Elyon suppressed a shiver and forced herself to smile at her new neighbor. She knew it wasn’t her brother anymore, but deep down, she felt she will never be able to not connect the two, even though it was not Endarno’s fault.</p><p>“Queen Elyon,” he greeted her with a small bow.</p><p>“Elder Endarno. It is good to see you.”</p><p>“As much as I doubt your statement, thank you. It is good to see you as well, although the circumstances of our reunion could not be more unfortunate.”</p><p>“Yes, what a shame. Do you know why the Oracle called us?”</p><p> Endarno sighed, the crowfeet around his eyes deepened.</p><p>“There is a danger surrounding Kandrakar, Queen Elyon. An unknown threat has crept upon these halls and we all feel a hostile power in the fortress. Not even the Oracle can find its origin. The threat it poses to our world is immense, as you can understand. I suspect the Oracle has a plan on how to prevent it and thus he summoned you all here.”</p><p>“Do you know what his plan is?”</p><p>“If I knew, I would not be standing here among you,” Endarno said and did something unbelievable – smiled at her.</p><p>She repaid the favor.</p><p>“Thank you, Endarno.”</p><p> </p><p>The crowd suddenly went quiet. Two persons in the middle of the room were about to speak. Every world listened to what the Oracle and honorable Yan Lin said in hope to find out what will happen to Kandrakar.</p><p> </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Eric was exhausted. He arrived to the Heatherfield observatory just an hour ago and he did not have time to unpack yet. Not that he had much time to pack in Open Hill. The course of events flew so fast he barely said goodbye to his friends back home. He blamed Kandrakar.</p><p>From what mom had told him, he understood following:</p>
<ol>
<li>There is a threat endangering Kandrakar.</li>
<li>The Oracle was going to seal the fortress from any external contact.</li>
<li>Eric had to steal the Guardians’ powers this night.</li>
</ol><p>He understood his task was far more important to the destiny of the world than his well-being, but he would appreciate some clues. For example, he would like to know who the Guardians were. It would make the search for them so much easier.</p><p>Someone knocked on his door.</p><p>“Come on in.”</p><p>The door opened with a squealing noise and in them stood his grandpa, Zachary Lyndon. During the time Eric did not see him, Dr. Lyndon has not changed at all. With his moustache and the ever-present glasses which he must have been wearing since birth, he presented a solid constant in the crazy life Lyndons have lived. Eric’s room in the observatory was also just like he’s left it, except for the spiderwebs in the closet.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright, Eric?”</p><p>The stern look Zachary built for years for the rest of the world melted like snow the second he was alone with his only son’s family. </p><p>“Yes, thank you.”</p><p>“Then it’s time, young man.”</p><p> </p><p>Eric looked up from his luggage. He started with unpacking just an hour ago. The observatory resembled a suitcase storage that someone blew up. Half of his clothes were folded in the suitcase, half of them laid around. Not to mention an alien plushie from Hay Lin that sat on his bed, silently judging the mess. And silently judging Eric, as well.</p><p>“Right now?”</p><p>“Right now.” Zachary nodded.</p><p>Eric stood up. The alien was still looking at him accusingly.</p><p>Eric took him in his arms and hugged him.</p><p>“I am sorry, Hay. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”</p><p>The alien said nothing.</p><p>“Okay… See you soon.”</p><p>He placed the alien on the table, turned off the lights and followed his grandpa.</p><p>The alien sat on the table, between lamp that did not work yet and half bar of chocolate. If he were alive, he could’ve seen the stars.</p><p>But he could not. He sat alone in Eric’s room, the constellations reflecting in his enormous black eyes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two: Night Thief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For the New Powers to come, the old ones have to be stolen.<br/>Includes Eric having existential crisis and the Guardians freaking out.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some of the lines are directly taken or adapted from the comic book (issue 75).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The night felt upon the city. Eric sat on the stairs in the entrance of the observatory and his thoughts were the only thing that distracted the silence of the night around him. To actively search for the Guardians, he should try to focus his power to recognize magic to simply one Element after another. That was his mom’s advice.</p><p>It was easier said than done. Everything in Heatherfield felt magical, even more than during his last visit. Maybe his powers, his gift from mom’s bloodline, grew stronger during his stay in Open Hill. If so, he did not appreciate the upgrade. The strength did not help at all, it was merely confusing, and he couldn’t focus.</p><p> </p><p>‘Okay, systematically – Who could be the Guardian?’</p><p>Maybe someone from the surfer guys. Eric bet they could’ve put up a fight if they wanted to. And most of them were kind guys and the kindness should be one of the Guardians’ traits. Maybe Peter Cook. Yeah, that could be it, even though it might have complicated things with Hay Lin and her friends. Peter was, after all, Tara’s brother. Come to think of it, Tara could’ve put up a fight as well. Any of Hay’s friends could…</p><p>No. No. No. No.</p><p>He would have noticed, right?</p><p>What about the teachers? Mister Collins? Miss Warton? Knickerbrocker? The headmistress had some authority surrounding her, maybe….</p><p> </p><p>That was just ridiculous. Besides, he couldn't possibly touch every person in Heatherfield with ‘Hello, aren’t you the Guardian of Kandrakar?’’</p><p>He supposed he could give mom’s advice a try.</p><p> </p><p>Step one – meditation.</p><p>He became much better at it in Open Hill than he was in Heatherfield, partly because he had to actively search for magic whereas in Heatherfield, magic came by itself.</p><p>Close eyes, sat down, regulate breath.</p><p>In. Out. In. Out…</p><p>His mind was calming down, he was breathing slowly and then everything came crushing at him. His vision was filled with blinding sparkles and exploding stars, his ears were full of high screeching and low buzzing, he was floating in the infinity with nothing to hold him back…</p><p>In. Out. In. Out…</p><p>The first wave flowed away in a short time until he was left with the vision of sparkling net and he heard occasional tinkle of magical energy flowing. This was way better.</p><p>Okay, first, the Heart. How to find the Keeper?</p><p>Let’s put it together – something immensely powerful, something loved, –</p><p>- the essence of Kandrakar he knew from stories and mom’s messages. He was the agent of Kandrakar, he should know what it feels like…</p><p>He felt shimer on the edge of his mind. A pink burning light in the sea of white sparkles. How come he did not see it before? And… Wait. Another one? Two pink lights. Two hearts? No, the Keeper was supposed to be only one person. Did he not listen to something vitally important or…?</p><p>The vision was floating away.</p><p>The lights, right. Focus only on them. They differed slightly.</p><p>One was light and the sound it made was high and jingly. The other was burning brighter, but a bit darker.</p><p>Eric took a closer look on the second one –</p><p>- Immense, immense power, supernovas in the soul of Infinity –</p><p>Eric waver in his thoughts. The second one it is, then.</p><p> </p><p>He opened up his eyes. The presence of the Heart thankfully did not disappear. An invisible string was pulling in him in one direction to it and showing him the path.</p><p>“That’s a new one.”</p><p>He felt like a radar. A humanoid, teenage radar who would very much like to go to sleep.</p><p>Let’s get this over with.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>It was past midnight when he finally managed to find the right house. The magic radar worked perfectly, however it did not count in the objects in the way, like other buildings, trees and one warehouse. The neighborhood seemed familiar though he didn’t remember ever going here. The house he was supposed to get in contain to many households and he doubted he could’ve just knock on the Keeper’s door, anyway. The best part? The radar that guided him to the windows above. It was significant to his luck the Keeper was so high up from the ground.</p><p>Eric stood by the building. This was not his favorite part. He touched the wall, stepped back a few steps and jumped. He caught the bottom of the balcony above him. He climbed on it and jumped on the next balcony above.</p><p>A few stories up, he wished he had brought a chocolate bar. He stopped, leaning to the wall and searched for the Heart. The string that guided him the whole way led to the second window to the left. He carefully placed him foot on the windowsill, trying not to think what might happen if he fell. Maintain balance, then another step, another and another and he was at the right place. The window was open, and he did not see anything inside.</p><p>‘Please be asleep, whoever you are,’ he prayed silently as he climbed in, being the quietest he’s ever been.</p><p> </p><p>His feet touched the ground. He hoped the Keeper did not mind the shoes on a carpet much. He checked the room. It was over-frogged. He did not believe how many inanimate frogs of various shapes and sizes could exist all together in one’s bedroom. But otherwise, it did not look anymore magical there than in his own. It was small, covered in clothes and yes, frogs. The door to the room were closed. There was also a bed where someone was lying asleep.</p><p>Eric came a bit closer. Someone with red hair and – Oh no.</p><p>Eric thoughts were swimming in an upcoming panic. He searched for the Heart, in desperate hope the magic led him to the wrong bedroom. The Power hit him at its full.</p><p>There, on the bed, clutching to a frog-shaped pillow slept the Keeper of the Heart.</p><p>Will Vandom.</p><p>And Eric had no idea what to do.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly he managed to sit down on the carpet. This meant something. He did not know what, but he didn’t like the outcome it pointed at. If Will’s the Leader, who is the rest of the Guardians? The memories of Hay Lin and her four friends came up to his mind, the girls often together, hardly separatable…</p><p>No.</p><p>Even if Will is one of the Guardians, it doesn’t mean Hay Lin is as well, does it? No, of course not.</p><p>What was the original plan? The plan to steal the old power from the Guardians, and then, when the New Ones come, guide the Guardians as an uninvolved mentor. Follow the plan, even if the “uninvolved” part got knocked out of the window and the rest of the world was crumbling.</p><p> </p><p>He stood up. Will looked so peacefully. Eric’s hand reached to the sleeping girl and he pulled from the inside of him. He did not want to take the Heart, the amulet he had heard so much about, he needed the power that lied in Will. The power that united the Guardians.</p><p>The surge of energy flew through him in a cosmic velocity.</p><p>It felt amazing and terrible.</p><p>“As you were, you are now.”</p><p>Will, now completely powerless, shifted in her sleep. Eric felt horrible, like a thief. Will’s power burdened him, it knew it did not belong to him. The sound of steps behind the door woke him up from the semi-trance. He rolled under Will’s bed as fast as he could.</p><p> </p><p>The door opened.</p><p>“Is she asleep?”</p><p>Professor Collins. He wasn’t so off at his guesses after all.</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Eric assumed the voice belonged to Will’s mom.</p><p>“Have you told her yet?”</p><p>“No, we… I didn’t find the right moment.”</p><p>The door closed and Eric listened to the muffled voices walking farther from the door. He let out a sigh of relief. That was close.</p><p>He had to find the others. Under the Guardian’s bed was a good place to start as any.</p><p>He closed his eyes and called upon the Water.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>The night was getting worse and worse as Eric’s mission continued. He found the Water Guardian through the sound of rain, the freshness of a river and the smell of the sea.</p><p>“As you were, you are now.”</p><p>She called him Lilith from her sleep and rolled over.</p><p> </p><p>He almost broke Taranee’s glasses when he followed the trace of explosions, the comfort of hearth and the burning blaze to her. He caught them a second before they hit the ground.</p><p>“As you were, you are now.”</p><p> </p><p>On his way to the Earth Guardian, following the trace of flowers, soil, and crackling stones, he was evaluating his options and got to the point of asking what would happen if he just stopped right at that moment and went home. The prediction of an oncoming catastrophe had him stay on his quest.</p><p>“As you were, you are now,” he whispered above Cornelia’s head.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Everything was horrible.</p><p>The power of the Elements was not forgiving him for taking them away from their rightful caretakers and let him feel it. He felt like a thief. And a stalker, honestly, who thought it would be good idea to sneak into teenage girls’ bedrooms in the middle of the night? He was so, so tired. Ever since visiting Will, he’d spent most of his time on the roofs.</p><p>If nothing else, the last Element, Air, was almost happy to guide him to the Guardian. On the other hand, that could not be a sign of anything good in the near future. Heart heavy, he followed the sounds of clinking, the strength of a hurricane and the calling of an autumn wind.</p><p>The Air shivered. He was at the right place.</p><p>The last glimmer of hope he had dropped dead to the bottom of his heart. The front sign of the Silver Dragon was right in front of him.</p><p>This had to be either the weirdest dream ever or the most ironic trick of the universe. Eric would bet on the second part. He was too sore for it being just a dream. The dragon from the sign was watching the street in the direction Eric stood. He almost felt his gaze upon him.</p><p>“I did not choose this, okay?” he whispered frantically at the sign.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, it did not move an inch.</p><p> </p><p>His legs and arms hurt from all the climbing, jumping, and running through the night. But he still had work to do. He measured the distance between the roof he was standing on and the Dragon’s. He needed to climb down a bit. This time he did not even need the compass to show him the exact room he needed to look for. He managed to open the window and jumped in.</p><p>The bedroom was more or less the same as he remembered it – the art supplies, aliens, stars, old clothes Hay Lin was currently redesigning and one or two original half-done pieces laying around. Hay Lin took him upstairs few times and he loved every inch of that room.</p><p>And her.</p><p>Hay Lin looked so peacefully when she was sleeping. Also, cute. He leaned over her.</p><p>‘Well, this is just creepy.’</p><p>He pulled back and sat on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>‘Did you know, Hay? About me? Because I surely didn’t know about you.’</p><p>She let out a little snore and shifted in her sleep. Eric swallowed a small chuckle that nearly escaped his throat. He placed his hand above her and called the Air to himself. He felt it unhappily leaving Hay Lin, just as the other Elements did when they were leaving their Guardians. It was rush of the hurricanes, it was brisk and cold, gentle and warm, and light as a breeze.</p><p>It was so… Hay Lin-esque.</p><p>It was done. The Elements were no longer in the possession of the girls. He stood up and slowly backed off from Hay Lin. He did not see her in person for so long –</p><p>He will see her soon. He reluctantly climbed back on the window.</p><p>Maybe… Maybe he should wake her up and talk to her. Or should he wait for tomorrow? That should be when the new powers come. And he wanted to see her tomorrow anyway.</p><p>That was so absurd. Not to mention, complicated.</p><p>No. He should wake her now and explain everything. He will talk to her and while, yes, this is not usual situation, they can work this out and everything’s going to be –</p><p>He lost his balance in the exact same moment. He felt backwards and kept sliding from the roof, then he was falling until –</p><p>The garbage in the dumpster saved him from the hard pavement.</p><p>“Perfect,” he murmured. “The great agent of Kandrakar.”</p><p>There was probably half of a fish in his hair. He scrapped himself out, roughly cleaning himself, trying to get rid of the traces of the soy sauce, and entangled plastic bags. The windows above him stayed dark. No one woke up.</p><p>‘I should take that as a sign.’</p><p>Part of him wanted to crawl back in the dumpster and fall asleep there. He looked up. He was almost sure the dragon on the front sign nodded.</p><p>‘Definitely.’</p><p>The Elements in him were on the war path against him. He did not have enough energy to explain everything, let alone climb back to Hay Lin’s room. He will talk to her tomorrow. Right now, he needed some rest.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Irma was upset. No, that wasn’t appropriate description. She was freaking out. A lot.</p><p>“Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up…” she whispered as she was calling Cornelia’s number on her way to the Hale’s residence.</p><p>She couldn’t reach Will or Hay Lin and Taranee… She did not want to upset her or make her more nervous than she had to be.</p><p>The phone clicked.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Cornelia! Thank goodness. I need to talk to you.”</p><p>“Hold on. I can see you.”</p><p>Irma looked up. Cornelia was waving at her from the balcony.</p><p>“I’ll be down in a minute.”</p><p> </p><p>Irma waited in front of the front gate. The day started okay. It would have been better if she didn’t want to play with the water streams as always. The water did not listen to her. She couldn’t reach others through telepathy. She couldn’t transform. The reality of it all was sinking onto her.</p><p>Cornelia came from the gate.</p><p>“Cornelia, I don’t – “</p><p>“My powers don’t work,” Cornelia interrupted her.</p><p>“Mine neither! I tried to reach the girls, but they’re not picking up.” Irma sounded desperate. “What do we do?”</p><p>“Calm down. We will go to the bookshop. We were supposed to meet there anyway. And then we figured it out.”</p><p>“Calm down? How… - Cornelia, we lose our powers, and you want me to calm down?”</p><p>Cornelia closed the entrance behind her. She was silent for a minute.</p><p>“Would it… Would it be that bad?” she asked in a very quiet voice.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Didn’t you ever dream of being as you were before? Without magic, without missions, without fear? Being normal?”</p><p>“No! No! Never!”</p><p>“I’m just saying…”</p><p>“No, Cornelia, no. I like being magical. And I know you like it, too.”</p><p>“Maybe…” Cornelia shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>She searched her bag and picked up a pair of sandals.</p><p>“Here,” she gave them to Irma.</p><p>Irma looked down on her bare feet. In the morning rush, she must have forgotten to put on shoes.</p><p>“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it.”</p><p>“Seriously, I could build you a statue.”</p><p>“I would like to see that.”</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>
  <em>‘Girls? Can anyone hear me?’</em>
</p><p>Taranee was on her way to the bookshop. Today was completely falling apart. She woke up without a trace of any flame, then Peter told her he’s moving away, she had thousands of missed calls from Will and on the top of it all there was the omniscient shadow of the dance show.</p><p>She stopped. There were people inside the shop. Normal, non-magical people as far as she could tell. There was a pamphlet on the front door that certainly wasn’t there yesterday, but she was too far and could not read it.</p><p>She hid behind the van parked on the street before they noticed her. She needed to use side entrance. Nearly on all fours she quickly ran towards it and slid in a style that even Kevin Jensen could be proud of. The door closed, she quietly walked down the stairs. She lurked form behind the corner.</p><p> </p><p>A pillow hit her in the face.</p><p>“Stop it, It’s Taranee.”</p><p>Hearing Cornelia’s voice was surprisingly calming, even though a button just hit her nose.</p><p>“Oh. Sorry.”</p><p>Irma slowly put down another pillow.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Taranee said massaging her nose. “The others are not here yet?”</p><p>“No, they’re not,” Cornelia confirmed. “Taranee, do you have your powers?”</p><p>“No. You too?”</p><p>“Yes, unfortunately,” Irma said. “That is why we’re here, defending ourselves.”</p><p>“With pillows?”</p><p>“It worked. Partially.”</p><p>“Anyway,” Cornelia changed the subject back on track. “Do you know anything about Hay Lin or Will?”</p><p>“Will tried to call me, but I couldn’t pick up. I think she has the same problem as we do.”</p><p>“I do. James did not talk to me at all this morning.”</p><p> </p><p>Taranee nearly jumped out of her skin when Will spoke right behind her. She did a quick turn and saw Hay Lina and Will standing together on the stairs.</p><p>“Hi,” she breathed out.</p><p>Both girls joined the rest of the Guardians. Will looked troubled, the Heart visible around her neck, its blaze far away from usual. It looked like an ordinary pendant. Hay Lin’s fingers were fidgeting, playing with the buttons on her home-made bag.</p><p>“What about you, Hay Lin?” Irma asked.</p><p>“I didn’t notice until now when I met Will and Matt.”</p><p>“Wait, Matt?” Cornelia stopped her. “Where did you hide him?”</p><p>Will suppressed a smile. “He was distracting the people upstairs, actually. He’s pretending to be interesting in the construction work or he tried to when we were going in.”</p><p>“What people?”</p><p>“We don’t know. Let’s hope Matt will find out,” Hay Lin said.</p><p> </p><p>The silence filled the basement.</p><p> </p><p>“This doesn’t look good. Our powers are gone, the Oracle didn’t say anything to us…”</p><p>“What if this is just a glitch? Like when the printer’s broken and you have to turn it off and on again?”</p><p>“But we don’t malfunction. We are not a printer, Hay Lin.”</p><p>“Look,” Cornelia cut the discussion down. “Maybe we’re overreacting. Maybe this is just a vacation from our powers. Or a gift. Being normal for one day.”</p><p>“If you could call it a gift…” Irma muttered.</p><p>“Just bear with me. Hay Lin, your grandma would tell us if something went wrong, wouldn’t she?”</p><p>“I suppose.”</p><p>“And maybe if we’re lucky, it lasts longer?”</p><p>“Lucky?” Will repeated. “Lucky with being… no longer magical?”</p><p> </p><p>A terrible sound followed her sentence and something frightened and very fluffy landed on Will’s head. We was hiding himself in her hair and nearly sobbing.</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry, We,” she said trying to grab him.</p><p>The alien landed in her arms and let himself be cuddled.</p><p>“Cornelia may be right,” Taranee said.</p><p>Five pairs of eyes looked at her. We was even whisking his tail.</p><p>“Maybe it’s temporary. But right now, we can’t do anything.”</p><p>“Of course we – “</p><p>“Tara’s right, Irma,” Will said as We slowly crawled on her shoulder, putting his head under her chin like a very rare scarf. “We might hope in the best, prepare for the worst, but that’s it.”</p><p>“So, what do we do now?”</p><p>“We handle today as planned and then we’ll see,” Cornelia smiled and put her arm around Taranee’s shoulders. “How are you holding up, anyway?”</p><p>“Good. I think. I’ve actually haven’t thought about the show much, everything’s been too much distracting.”</p><p>“We’ll keep you distracted all day long, don’t you worry. Let’s go!”</p><p> </p><p>Cornelia took Taranee and they went up the stairs. Will took nearly purring We and gently put him on a pillow that Irma claimed her weapon earlier. He made a few noises and curled into a smaller pillow on top of the large one.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t think it would be good if we weren’t magical, do you?” Irma asked them quietly.</p><p>Will shook her head and compulsively touched the Heart around her neck. “No, I don’t. I got used to it too much, I think.”</p><p>“Me too,” Hay Lin nodded. “I am sorry I didn’t return your calls earlier. I-I was busy with writing to Eric.”</p><p>“That’s right! When you’re seeing him?”</p><p>“Uhm… I don’t know?” she shrugged. “He texted me he’s back, but he’s sick and doesn’t want to spit anything on me…”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Hay-Hey.”</p><p>“At least you have time to perfect the gift, right?” Will said.</p><p>“Right,” Hay Lin smiled. “I just hope all of this gets better sooner. I want to talk to grandma about something.”</p><p>Will looked at the Heart. “I don’t think it will work for now.”</p><p>“I know. We’ll have to wait.”</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>The dust in the unused room was dancing around the workers. Henry Lee, one of the members of the ‘Move Away’ team, was trying to lift one of the smaller bookshelves. It was surprisingly heavy. He moved to the boxes. Full of small decorations, laps and books, all destined to be thrown away. He did not like wasting things, even though it was part of his job. The wasting of the books was even worse. He checked if no one of his coworkers was looking and opened one of the boxes.</p><p>On the top there were three small books tied together with a thin cotton string. There was a note attached to them. Henry lifted it closer to his eyes, so even he, with his poor sight could read the thin calligraphic writing.</p><p>
  <em>‘Olsen’</em>
</p><p>He looked over the cover of the books. He did not know any of the titles, but they sounded poetic. He wasn’t a poetry man. The books though looked beautiful, in an antique way his wife would appreciate. He put them in the pocket in his pale blue uniform, the color his wife did not appreciate at all. She said it made him looked tired.</p><p>“Hey, Lee! You’re working?”</p><p>He nearly jumped out of his skin and his jumpsuit.</p><p>“Of course, what else would I be doing?”</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Eric woke up for the second time that day. First time, it was at nearly eight and he was awake for just enough time to realize he was not in a good condition and texted Hay Lin. This time, all he could see was his grandpa’s mustache.</p><p>“Morning,” Eric mumbled.</p><p>“Hardly. It is two in the afternoon.”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>Eric quickly sit up. He immediately regretted it and fell back down on bed with his eyes closed. His head was spinning. Something inside him shifted. The Elements. He carefully opened his eyes.</p><p>“You need to rest today, Eric. The power you are guarding is of grand importance.”</p><p>“It doesn’t feel like it wants to be guarded, grandpa. Leave me as soon as it can, that would be it.”</p><p>He could feel the Elements wreaking havoc inside of him. Zachary looked at him with a fondness in his eyes.</p><p>“I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for you. I never carried power that great or cosmic.”</p><p>Neither did he. He also never had a head wrapped up in such a catastrophe-predicting mess.</p><p> </p><p>“Grandpa? Do you know who the Guardians are?”</p><p>“No. And don’t tell me.”</p><p>Eric nearly forgot about his dizziness and tried to sit up again. He gave up after one try and grandpa’s palm pushing him back down to the pillows.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because it is not my part,” Zachary said with infinite patience and the “professor voice” he used from time to time.</p><p>“The Guardians rescued multiple worlds, including the Earth. I will be forever grateful for their service and if the only act of expressing my gratitude can be respecting their secret, I will do it. Their identity is sacred to them. It is bad enough you had to find out, imagine how threatened they could feel if anyone could track their private lives.”</p><p>“But – “</p><p>“No buts, Eric. Their secret must be safe within you, you understand. You can’t tell me.”</p><p>Eric nodded slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“Now,” Zachary sounded a lot more cheerful. “You must be ready for tonight, so I’ll let you rest as much as you want to. Are you hungry?”</p><p>“A little.”</p><p>“Good. I brought you a soup. Made it myself.”</p><p>Eric managed to smile and send a small prayer to Kandrakar elders or to whoever was listening that the Elements weakened his sense of taste as well. He slowly moved and with grandpa’s help he managed to sit up leaning on the pillow-covered wall.  </p><p>“Do you want me to help you with it?”</p><p>The mental image of Professor Lyndon feeding his grandson with a spoon and doing appropriate plane noises almost made Eric chuckle.</p><p>“No, thanks. I’ll do it.”</p><p>“Very well, then. I should be going. If you need anything, call for me.”</p><p>“Sure. Thanks, grandpa.”</p><p>Eric watched his grandpa leave the room. The moment the door closed he closed his eyes. The Elements were angry at him. He didn’t blame them. He understood perfectly. If he was forcefully separated from someone, he would be angry too. The storm inside him surprisingly slowed down a bit.</p><p>‘I am sorry, I really am.’</p><p>The power inside of him was still twirling but not with such frequency as before. It almost seems like the Elements were curios.</p><p>‘I’ll return you back as fast as I can. I promise.’</p><p>The shifting continued, but it did not make him want to throw up anymore. He gathered all of his courage and examined the soup. He was sure he saw both a shrimp and a broccoli. Reminding himself he needed to eat, he took a sip.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>The show was about to start. The whole dance and music-related part of Heatherfield was probably there along with some bystanders and occasionally very confused people. The lady in front of Cornelia’s line was one of them and girl at the entrance was slowly losing patience with her.</p><p>“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I have to repeat, there is no shoes sale tonight.”</p><p>“But my neighbor told me – Maybe you’re confused. I am looking for a shoe selling event. Could you call for someone older, darling? I want to speak to someone in charge.”</p><p>“I am in charge here and I repeat, there is no shoe sale.”</p><p> </p><p>As unbelievable as it was to her, this had been the second time that day Cornelia wished her magic would not leave her. The first time was when she nearly forgot to get flowers the ordinary way and tried to grow sunflowers from the ground. While the sunflowers still looked pretty Cornelia was not so sure about herself. She didn’t have time to stop to refresh herself nor did she see any of the girls in the last half hour.</p><p>She checked her phone. She still had some time, but if no one did anything soon, she would miss the show. The rest of the people in the line were getting nervous as well. Looking at their phones and watches, buzzing like an upset hive.</p><p>She let out a sigh and stepped forwards, holding the sunflowers up to avoid breaking them.</p><p>“Excuse me - Thank you, excuse me… My friend’s one of the performers… Pardon me, sir. – Thank you. Yes – Excuse – Sorry, I have to… Hello.”</p><p>She fought her way in the front. The girl by the entrance gave her nothing but a small nod. The lady at the front looked at her with a hint of a shock. Cornelia gave her the best polite smile her grandma taught her. At least something good came out of the lessons.</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me, madam. I am afraid you must be mistaken. There is nothing but a musical and dancing performance, here. The shoe sale you are looking for is two streets from here at the mall.”</p><p>“Really?” she does not sound convinced.</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>Cornelia gave her the most professional looking smile she was capable of. The lady was scanning her from the top of her head to her toes. More specifically, on her sandals. Cornelia was grateful she was not Irma and was actually wearing some.</p><p>“Oh. I must have been wrong, then. No matter. I must go. Enjoy your show.”</p><p>The lady turned on her heel and made her was through the line of uncalm people.</p><p> </p><p>“Huh... Thanks,” the girl at the entrance said and smiled mildly. “Ticket?”</p><p>“Here.”</p><p>The girl took it and ripped away the entrance code. Cornelia noticed she had a name tag claiming her name was Wendy.</p><p>“Is there really a shoe sale at the mall?”</p><p>“No idea. But if it is anywhere it should be there.”</p><p>The girl chuckled and give her the ticket back.</p><p>“I’ll forgive you the line cutting. Enjoy.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>Cornelia went through the gate. She was late. It would have been better if someone would come with her, but she volunteered to go alone. She didn’t mind but she wished that any of the girls would have gone with her. But Taranee was already in the rehearsal room and Will had to stop home and was probably too busy thinking about the old bookshop, because according to Matt, the place was going to be for sale. Irma and Hay Lin had heads full of the sudden magic disappearance. She knew the girls were nervous, she lived through something similar when Nerissa sent them to their astral drops’ bodies. The only force grounding her in magical reality being her love….</p><p>“Cornelia!”</p><p>Peter’s voice released her from her memories. She smiled at him, her normal smile, none of the ones grandma was so eager to teach her. She waved at him with the sunflowers.</p><p>“Hi! Sorry, I’m late.”</p><p>“You’re right on time. It hasn’t even started yet.”</p><p>They reached each other, she lowered the flowers and let her hand slid into his. She felt a light kiss on the top of her head.</p><p>“How are you?”</p><p>“Good. How are you?”</p><p>“Better now,” he said and together they headed towards the stage.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Lights up, sound dunning, music and fun. That is the annual dancing show in Heatherfield. Bright and loud. Hidden between the trees Taranee Cook has her dancing solo tonight. The silence from the audience and the applause, most of the noise coming from a group of teenagers with banners. It’s her time to shine.</p><p>And the dark, slowly hissing, drops dripping underground and fear. The forest above the Mother’s lair is darker than other, full of twisting branches and thorns. Beneath, the Dark Mother smiles for one of her seeds is in Kandrakar. The silence from her servants, the blast of feeling all of the Kandrakar energy heading towards her and roaring laughter that comes from her beautiful lips.</p><p>It’s her time to shine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! :)<br/>Let me know if there are any errors.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three: Falling Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Powers are coming on the Earth and the unavoidable happens.<br/>Includes slight coma, people on fire, orchid and a very confused Matt.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is filled with the lines directly taken from the comic book (issue 76) or slightly changed.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m so tired,” Irma sighed. “I could go straight to bed.”</p><p>Hay Lin nodded in an absolute agreement. Their little group of five girls and Matt with Peter was one of the last that exited the park area. Not that she would complain, she enjoyed it and Taranee was amazing, among other people. Peter was not stopping with praising his little sister and Matt was still humming medley he had heard at the show. The sun was long gone, and the first stars appeared on the night sky. She would have stayed at the one spot and watched them, waiting for the first consolations to appear.</p><p>She couldn’t - They were rushing a bit, because Will and Matt were supposedly to have dinner with the Vandom-Collins clan. They were all mostly quiet, Taranee still floating on her own personal cloud of happiness, Irma occasionally remarking something and Cornelia’s heels clapping on the cobblestone street.</p><p>A light appeared on the sky, quickly disappearing again.</p><p>“Look, a falling star!” she said.</p><p>They all looked above.</p><p>“Oh man, I’ve missed it.”</p><p>“Wait,” Will said. “There is another one.”</p><p>She pointed at the different direction.</p><p>“Everyone, make a wish.”</p><p>Hay Lin closed her eyes and crossed her fingers. She looked up at the sky. The lights were still there and getting bigger.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s kinda weird….” Peter said.</p><p> </p><p>Hay Lin saw Will’s hand touching the Heart and Matt’s alarmed expression when the lights came down on the street.</p><p> </p><p>She was floating and she felt… It was theirs, magical and…</p><p>AIR!</p><p>She laughed greeting her old friend back, hers…</p><p>Earth! Fire! Water! And the Power that Unites Them!</p><p> </p><p>She still couldn’t see much, but she had her wings. They felt different. Then the light went out and she saw the street again. The Guardians changed. Their wings were larger, their hair longer, their outfits were different. The street also looked very different. The lights went out. All the people except the Guardians were laying around, eyes closed, breathing softly. Matt and Peter were laying on the ground, Will, Taranee and Cornelia kneeling beside them.</p><p>“They’re asleep, I think,” Cornelia said.</p><p>They stood up.</p><p>“Girls… I think these are our powers!” Will said, the Heart practically dancing on her chest.</p><p>Irma was beaming. “Wow! I feel great!”</p><p> </p><p>Hay Lin felt great too, just something was little off, not working quite as she was used to. She examined her hands hidden behind her new gloves as if her palms had the answer written on them next to the grocery list (milk, bread, CHOCOLATE!!!) she made that morning.</p><p>“Impossible,” sighed Cornelia, sounding frustrated. “I’d just got used to the thought of being normal, but now… Magic again! Magic! I can’t take it anymore!”</p><p>Behind her the pavement cracked and a very healthy oak grew from the one crack, nearly hitting her.</p><p>“And what magic!” Irma laughed.</p><p>Will approached Cornelia and carefully put her hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“Calm down… We have to think! For some reason someone took away our powers …”</p><p>“And for some reason, someone gave them back. But they are stronger than before,” Taranee cut her off.</p><p> </p><p>Taranee interrupting Will was unusual. Seeing her covered in flames was even more unexpected. She lightened up the whole street as a living torch.</p><p>“Tara! You’re… You’re on fire!”</p><p>Taranee stepped back from the girls, the symbol of her Element burning brightly on her chest.</p><p>“It doesn’t hurt… But I can’t put myself out.”</p><p>“Hold on!” Hay Lin rushed in. “I might do it… Air!”</p><p>A small wind whirl she wanted to form quickly grow into small tornado. She heard quiet “Thanks” between the whooshing of the wind in her ears.</p><p>“But who stops me now?” she called.</p><p>A stream of water hit her along with the weirdest lianas she ever saw, both taking her out of the windstorm. She was very wet and hanging upside down from a plant that resembled a large orchid vine.</p><p>“Thank you?”</p><p> </p><p>Irma, backing from the stream of a size of a small river, crashed with her back into Cornelia.</p><p>“I feel like a monster,” Cornelia cried.</p><p>“Oh, not more than usual,” Irma quickly remarked.</p><p>Hay Lin managed to free herself from the orchid and stretched her wings. They were so larger than usual, she might have needed more time getting used to them. The way down was more falling then flying, but she landed next to Will who immediately helped her on her feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no! Not again!”</p><p>Taranee was burning again.</p><p>Will made sure Hay Lin was standing on her own and dragged her two steps away from Taranee. The Heart around her neck was shining almost as brightly as Taranee’s flames. Hay Lin noticed there were sweat drops on her friends’ forehead.</p><p>“It seems like we can’t control these energies!” Will said.</p><p>“That’s right! You can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>They all turned the direction the voice is coming, forgetting about their troubles and took a battle stance. There was someone standing in front of them, smiling a bit awkwardly, his hands in his pockets and ruffled hair from the wind just as Hay Lin remembered him.</p><p>“Ehm, not yet anyway,” he said, stepping back with his hands up in a peaceful gesture.</p><p>“Eric?!”</p><p> </p><p>To say it caught her of guard would be an understatement. She daydreamed about coming to the observatory and seeing him, then talking to him, hugging him, maybe stealing a kiss and be together for endless hours.</p><p>“You’re here? And not asleep? How come he’s not asleep?!” Irma asked from her small pond that was occasionally exploding with new water streams. “Everyone else is!”</p><p>“I’m awake, yes,” Eric said, looking directly at Hay Lin.</p><p>He took a break for a second.</p><p> </p><p>“I am an agent of Kandrakar. I’ve taken your old powers, because that was the only way to make you open for these new ones.”</p><p>“You <em>stole</em> our magic?” Taranee asked, grabbing him by the shoulder.</p><p>His shirt immediately caught on fire. Hay Lin stepped in and pushed Taranee back with her hand. It burned her skin a little.</p><p>“Taranee! You’re hurting him!”</p><p>Eric was frantically clapping his shoulder, trying to put the fire out. Hay Lin jumped to him, patting him on the places the flames were still charring the fabric.</p><p>“Thanks,” he said.</p><p>“Eric, what is going on?”</p><p>He looked up at her, smiled sadly and started talking.</p><p> </p><p>“They ordered me to steal your powers. The Kandrakar, the Oracle. Kandrakar’s in danger, and the Oracle decided to seal themselves. Close all portals to his world. But I was chosen to get my hands on your magic waiting for the new powers to arrive!”</p><p>“So… You can tell us about this?” Will asked dryly.</p><p>She gestured to the burning Taranee, Cornelia’s feet making cracks in the cobblestone and the grass lurking from them, Irma now completely flooded in a stream of water and even a small windstorm above Hay Lin’s head. The Heart was nowhere to be seen which must have been a good sign.</p><p>“Each one of you has received an elemental power in its purest state. You have to figure out the roots of your power. That’s the only way to be able to use it to its fullest.”</p><p>“What about you?”</p><p>“I am the one who will follow you on this path, guide you, mentor you or at least try to,” he shrugged.</p><p>He scratched his back and looked at the Guardians.</p><p> </p><p>“Hay Lin?” Will called her name after a while. “Is he telling the truth?”</p><p> </p><p>Eric turned to her, suddenly looking surprised. Hay Lin felt as if there was a quietly thundering storm of entangled emotions inside of her, waiting to be unleashed. She could unpack it later. Right now, she needed to focus on her Guardian duty. She looked Eric directly in the eye.</p><p>“Did you know we are the Guardians this whole time?” she asked him quietly.</p><p>He was looking in her eyes. She watched the sparkles in his warm brown eyes that lit up every time she mentioned one of her new projects to him or when he was telling her about the stars. They weren’t as joyful at the moment. </p><p>“No. Not until the last night,” he answered, nearly whispering.</p><p>She came in step closer. The wind from the storm above her was messing with his hair, but it didn’t look like he noticed it. She listened to the Air as she always did when she needed to tell whether someone was telling the truth. The wind was circling about them both. Eric’s feet were already above the ground, thankfully he did not notice. She took few steps back and he landed back.</p><p>“He’s not lying.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wonderful!” Irma cheered.</p><p>“Right now, you should try to be your Earth-self again,” Eric said. “The city has fallen asleep because the powers had used up all available energy…”</p><p>The girls took a glance at Matt and Peter on the ground behind them.</p><p>“… But soon it will awaken. And I think you don’t want to be seen like this, right?”</p><p>“Why not?” Irma was drying her skirt. “With this costume and these hair extensions I feel smoking hot.”</p><p>“I’m… I’m not worried about the outfits,” he mumbled.</p><p>Hay Lin noticed he was glancing at her. She run her fingers through her hair. She couldn’t look that different than in her previous Guardian form, could she? She could use a mirror. Beside other things. Maybe a manual on handling impossible situations like this?</p><p> </p><p>“I’m worried about the energy you have to be able to control.”</p><p>“Oh, really?” Cornelia burst out, making her way through various green vines. “Now I’ll definitely…</p><p>“Um, look behind you.”</p><p>“Why? Do we already have a villain to deal with or…?”</p><p>She looked at her back, her wings spreading behind her.</p><p>“The wings,” Will said, looking at her own. “They’re huge.”</p><p>“Yeah, and absolutely gorgeous!”</p><p>“Wait… Does this mean we can all fly now?” Cornelia asked.</p><p>“I would hope so,” Taranee said. “These things would finally make some sense.”</p><p> </p><p>She carefully moved her wings a little, so the flames surrounding them would not touch any of the people around her. Hay Lin also slowly flapped her wings. They were surely bulkier than the ones she was used to, heavier, not used to be manipulated with. She tried to spread them. They suddenly felt even heavier.</p><p>“Now that’s a wing-span!” Irma said enthusiastically. “We have to send our favorite big-wig a fruit basket!”</p><p>“Big wig?” Eric repeated.</p><p>“She means the Oracle,” Hay Lin explained. “Eric… What really happened in Kandrakar?”</p><p>“I… I don’t know. I just got the message that is the time and that Kandrakar’s in danger. Not even the Oracle knows. Something wants in the fortress.”</p><p>“But Grandma would have told me! She is… My grandma, Yan Lin, she is one of the Kandrakar elders. I tried to communicate with her…”</p><p>“Your grandma? I thought – “</p><p>“It’s complicated. Wait, you didn’t know?”</p><p> </p><p>They were standing too close again. She found the glimpse of disbelief in his eyes as he shook his head.</p><p>“No. I’m sorry, but we can’t reach the Kandrakar now. None of us.”</p><p>“Grandma couldn’t abandon me! She is not like that.”</p><p>“I’m sure she wouldn’t if she didn’t have to. We have to…. The thing, the Evil threatening Kandrakar, it threatens us all.”</p><p>“Us all?” Will repeated.</p><p> </p><p>She crossed her arms on her chest. If Hay Lin didn’t know better, she would think Eric might have been scared of her friend. He would have a good reason, the energy was pulsing from her and creating a strange ozone-smelling area around her. </p><p>“I am sorry, Eric, but you have not explained yourself fully, not yet. How do you want to mentor us? Who are you, exactly?”</p><p>Eric visibly gulped.</p><p>“Well, I… My family has been preparing me for this for a long time. I can sense magical energy and I can absorb magic and release it back. I should be… some kind of trainer for you all. I’ll try my best, I promise.”</p><p>“You’re from Earth?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Hay Lin?”</p><p>She would appreciate not being used as a lie detector. She listened to the Air and nodded sharply.</p><p>“Good. I would love to explain it all to you, but the city is about to wake up and I assume you don’t want them to find out,” he gestured to the guys on the ground.</p><p>“Oh, Matt knows, don’t worry,” Irma chimed in.</p><p> </p><p>Eric visibly froze for a second.</p><p>“Oh. Okay. Sure. Look, I don’t know much about you. I mean I know a lot, but not enough. As in, I know little about you but a lot about…”</p><p>Hay Lin looked at the struggling, normally well-spoken boy. He really wasn’t at his element today. She hardly suppressed a smile, and her heart might have skipped a beat.</p><p>“The Powers?” she helped.</p><p>“Yes, thank you. Ehrm… Do you know how to meditate?”</p><p>“<em>Excuse</em> me?” Cornelia said disbelievingly.</p><p>“Alright. Just focus, then. Gather your energies and focus on them somewhere in your head, just behind the temple. Let it flow…”</p><p>Hay Lin closed her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Calm it down. As steam becomes drops on the cold glass… As water finds peace in a lake…”</p><p>The familiar pull of her power in her hands made her open her eyes again. She was changing back and the others as well.</p><p> </p><p>“As the snow falls on the ground, laying with infinity… As the trees breathe… And the Sun falls behind the horizon, it’s coming down. Slowly…”</p><p>She was back to her normal self. The windstorm above her head was gone.</p><p>“Wow! It’s working!” she heard Irma say.</p><p>“I was hoping it would.”</p><p> </p><p>Eric was still standing very close to her, looking much more nervous than only a minute ago. The girls were surrounding them, all of them transformed back. She heard a muffled sound. She quickly searched for a source. It was Peter, probably waking up. Everyone on the street was now slowly shifting.</p><p>“Pretend as if nothing happened. People are beginning to wake up,” Cornelia warned them.</p><p>She quickly rushed to Peter’s side, followed by Taranee whose hair still seemed to be on fire, only slowly fading. Cornelia waved at the direction of giant orchid and sighed with relief when the flower grew back into the ground. Will kneeled beside Matt and rapidly patted his face. Hay Lin could swear she saw few sparkles fly in between them.</p><p>Eric beside her gasped softly, his eyebrows flying up to his black ruffled hair. Matt opened his eyes and squinted at Will.</p><p> </p><p>“Wha… What?”</p><p>“Good morning, sleepy head. Now get on your feet, I need you to be awake for the dinner, remember?”</p><p>“Yeah… What – What happened?”</p><p>“Small magic-related emergency.”</p><p>“Again?” he asked, somehow sounding amused, and let Will help him on his feet. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“Why, yes, Matthew, thanks for asking,” Irma said appearing right behind them, dramatically putting hand on her forehead. “You always think about us first, truly a gentleman, right, Will?”</p><p>“Cannot disagree.”</p><p>Matt chuckled and still wobbly looked down at his feet.</p><p>“Is Peter okay?”</p><p>“He should be fine,” Eric supplied him with an answer.</p><p>Matt turned at his direction, still frowning as he was just exposed to too much sunlight.</p><p>“Eric?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter opened his eyes as in on cue. As did the rest of the street. The girls and the two boys watched as the citizens of Heatherfield got up as one man, blinked at the same time and the lights went up.</p><p>Peter was looking up at the night sky again.</p><p>“Nah, they’re gone. What did you wish for?”</p><p> </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Yan Lin wished to for many things. She wished she could hug her granddaughter, tell her she wouldn’t have never ever leave her alone. She wished she didn’t have to break the Oracle’s order and didn’t have to create a window in the Kandrakar’s barrier to see Hay Lin’s face. It was the closest she got to being there for her, even though Hay Lin couldn’t neither see nor hear her.</p><p>She knew she violated some of the Kandrakar’s rules for the Guardians, all of them for good cause. She also knew this particular misbehavior could cost her a seat between the elders. She, however, was not scared of the Oracle’s wrath. She was afraid of the close walls, this… This prison Kandrakar turned to in span of few hours. She was afraid of the shadow which was still crawling upon the walls of the Fortress.</p><p>She saw her granddaughter face, scared and unsure. If only she knew how scared and unsure her grandma was, how much energy the chink in the Kandrakar barrier open cost her.</p><p>Yan Lin sighed, the decades of lived years weighting her like they did not for a long time. Dangerous and trying times lied upon them. Trying and scary. </p><p>* * * * *</p><p>“You have to admit, that was a little scary.”</p><p>Hay Lin could hear Matt whispering in Will’s ears very clearly. The Air did not hide anything from her. She wasn’t sure she liked it. For example, it was remining her Eric was standing and breathing right next to her.</p><p>Peter apparently did not notice anything out of normalcy. Taranee was patting her head behind his back, trying to make the flames disappear.</p><p>“Oh, hi, Eric! I didn’t notice you coming! You’re back in Heatherfield?” he asked cheerfully.</p><p>It was hard not to smile when Peter Cook was shooting positive energy at you, which was almost always when he spoke. Eric was no exception to this rule.</p><p>“Hi, Peter! Yeah, I just got back.”</p><p>“Welcome home, man!”</p><p>“Thanks,” Eric beamed at him.</p><p> </p><p>Cornelia who was standing next to Peter slowly grabbed him and gently pushed him to Taranee. Peter was very oblivious to the fact she did it to mask the cracks that were growing under her feet. Hay Lin shivered in a sudden wind blow that flew past her.</p><p>“I understand nothing,” Matt mumbled.</p><p>“I can’t say I do either,” Will sighed quietly. “I’ll explain later.”</p><p>The lightbulb above her head was flickering constantly and shined brightly too often.</p><p> </p><p>“How about we split and go home?”</p><p>“Good idea, Cornelia. I am soooo tired.”</p><p>Taranee yawned for a suspiciously long time, just enough for Peter not to realize the fire hydrant next to Irma was behaving very unpredictably, shooting water everywhere on the pavement.</p><p>“Sure,” Will said. “See you <em>all</em> tomorrow?”</p><p>She looked directly at Eric. Hay Lin thought that Will could be intimidating when she wanted to. Eric nodded.</p><p>“Okay then!” Irma jovially hugged Taranee with one arm, putting the starting fire out. “I’ll go with you Cooks. I need more fresh air. Cornelia, you’re coming with us?”</p><p>“Gladly.”</p><p>The four of them disappeared waving, leaving the rest of them on the street.</p><p>“We should be going too,” Matt said.</p><p>“See you both tomorrow. We’ll let you know where and when, Eric.”</p><p>“Of course. Bye!”</p><p> </p><p>They were left alone on a semi-busy street. The wind did not stop blowing around Hay Lin, if anything, it was stronger now. Eric was looking at his feet. She realized she was doing the same, the only difference was her feet were nearly an inch from the ground. Eric seemed to notice as well, putting hand on her shoulder, and helping her land back on the cobblestone before people stared at her.</p><p>“Ehm… Hi.”</p><p>He sounded unsure. He didn’t change much at the time she had not seen him in person. Though… He was paler than she remembered and taller. If she wanted to kiss him, she would have to get on her toes.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>They were quiet, not knowing what to say next.</p><p>“I am sorry…,“ Eric started.</p><p>“No. Stop it,” she interrupted him. “I don’t want to hear anything next mission related or more explanations… I just – I missed you, Eric.”</p><p>“I missed you too. This isn’t exactly how I pictured seeing you again.”</p><p>She smiled, wave of sadness coming over her.</p><p>“Me neither. I thought about picnic and then…”</p><p>“A walk around the city and finally…”</p><p>“Watching stars.”</p><p>“Yes. That’s it.”</p><p>They went quiet again, feeling surprisingly guilty about laughing with each other. Almost as they weren’t allowed to be cheerful with each other that day. The only sounds disturbing them were the people walking on the street and the constant wind blowing.</p><p>“What are we going to do now?” she asked.</p><p>“I don’t know. How about we forget this happened, just for tonight?”</p><p>“And tomorrow we talk about it. With girls and without them.”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan. Can I – Can I walk you home?”</p><p>Hay Lin looked up to the sky. The stars were already up, shining brightly, sending their light to the people below them, including her and Eric. Taken out of context, it was almost perfect.</p><p>“I would like that.”</p><p>He slipped her hand into hers, carefully like he didn’t want to startle her and they headed in the Silver Dragon direction, wishing upon the stars.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, this is it.<br/>I don't think I will write more chapters. This is really a realization of a spur of the inspiration by the New Power Eric fix-it.<br/>I hope someone else will write it as well and better. :)</p><p>Check quintessence-sentimentalist on Tumblr. Her fix-it ideas are AMAZING, the Eric one is just the sweet sweet cherry on the top. </p><p>Let me know if there are any errors.<br/>Hope you liked it. :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed it a bit. If you find any errors, please let me know. Thanks!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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